Second Chances: Past Mission, Present Terror
by jtbwriter
Summary: A nightmare and memories of the past collide, with Rick & Laurie Simon held hostage as revenge by a former colleague. Only the strength of their friends can save them now. Special thanks to MB and Beth T for the encouragement!
1. Chapter 1

Second Chances: Past Mission, Present Terror

A nightmare and memories of the past collide, with Rick and Laurie Simon held hostage as revenge by a former colleague. Only the strength of their friends can save them now.

(Simon & Simon, The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman are all owned by Universal Studio and are only being borrowed. No profit will be made off these characters. All other original characters are created and owned by me and no, you can't have them!)

_"No, you're not Rudy!" Laurie cried, trying to get out of the car. Suddenly the face of the man she thought of as a friend and mentor popped off as she swung her arm against it. She screamed in terror; it had eyes and circuitry, a fembot!_

_"Don't struggle, Ms. Scott." The voice of her friend was gone; in it's place a steely monotone. The iron grip of the fembot tightened on her arms, holding her in place._

_"Help!" she yelled, as the car sped past where she was to meet Steve and Oscar. Before she could make another sound, the robot pulled out a syringe and yanking her toward him, stuck her arm with it. Almost instantly everything blurred around her, except for the last horrific sight of that faceless thing._

"No!"

Rick awakened to his wife's scream, his eyes popping open. As he turned, he saw tears running down her cheeks as a look of pure horror distorted her face.

"Laurie, sweetheart…it's all right!" he told her, gathering her into his arms and trying to wake her up. After a moment, her body stopped shaking and her eyes focused on him. "What is it, darlin'?"

"Rick, oh thank God!" She murmured, then buried her face into his embrace. "It was only a nightmare, but it was so bad."

"I know, I know, angel. You worried me there, what happened?" Rick wiped her eyes then kissed her and held her.

"I had a bad dream, darling, thank you for waking me." Laurie took several deep breaths, then smiled up at him. "It's such a long ago nightmare, I never thought I'd dream about the Fembots."

"The what?" Rick was confused, then he saw relief in his wife's eyes. "Fembots…they were like robots out of science fiction or something." She looked past him to the clock next to the bed and sighed.

"It's only 5 am, Rick. I'll tell you about them in the morning, if I can get back to sleep."

He saw she was afraid to re-live her night terror, so he brushed the hair out of her eyes and said, "Sweetheart, go get a drink of water and come back to bed and I'll make sure you have only good dreams."

"All right, my love." Laurie smiled at him as she got up and went down the hall. Instantly he fluffed up the pillows and straightened the bed and by the time she came back, was lying on his side pretending to be a model.

"Oh, Rick, no, you are so silly!" She laughed, then climbed into his arms and kissed him.

"Humph, my princess finds her knight funny, huh?" he teased, then proceeded to return her caresses and cuddle with her until they both were drowsy and went to sleep.

In the morning Laurie was penitent about waking Rick up, but with a little persuasion and breakfast in bed, Rick talked her into telling him about her dream.

"It was so real…..I was riding in a car with Rudy, but it wasn't him, and when I tried to get out of the car, it sped up. I hit Rudy in the face, and it popped off…and it wasn't human, it was a fembot! It's like a robot, sort of ." Laurie explained as Rick looked confused.

"It's a long story, darling. It actually started with Steve and Jaime, then ended, thankfully, when I had to deal with them…." She shivered and immediately he stroked her arm. "Mmmm, thank you." She relaxed against him.

"_It all started with this scientist, Dr. Franklin…"_


	2. Chapter 2

_"Since when is thinking for oneself an asset in a woman?"_

_Laurie giggled at Oscar's imitation of the mad scientist, then quickly sobered as she realized what heartache his kidnapping of her "boss" had caused._

_"I'm glad you can look back on him with humor, Oscar, but I'm just relieved he's gone." Steve said quietly. "Are we sure his "son" was the only one left with knowledge of his technology?"_

_"Dr. Franklin had an assistant, John Rawlins, but he testified he had no understanding of his work. He's in prison for another five years, pal, for helping steal the weather machine. That's why I think this report of a "robot" is just someone's having had too much to drink." Oscar gave them both a wry grin, then sighed._

_"Still, the Anchor Bay base is where our newest research facility is opening, so I want to have someone go in and check it out. Laurie, you're scheduled to go on that Jazz Caravan for Blue Note, right?"_

_"Yes, this weekend. Jessie B's son is serving at Anchor Bay, so his combo is going to do a special stop there. I can ask a few questions." She replied._

_This was great; she could relieve Steve's obvious worry and finish her article at the same time._

_Catching the big man's frown out of the corner of her eye, Laurie added, "If I join the group in Seattle, I won't be gone more then two days. That way I'll be back for Rudy's birthday."_

_At that Steve's expression relaxed. "I can fly you home from Seattle if you like, that way if you find out anything, we can get there fast."_

"Thank God Steve was there, it ended up not being too much beer, but a fembot, masquerading as a cook in the base's mess hall. I saw it break into the research lab, and by accident I found out how to stop it by hitting it on the back of the head." Laurie explained, lost in memory.

Rick shook his head, dazed by the fact his wife had taken on some kind of android. "Sweetheart, how did you do that?"

"It was attacking the lab's director, and I wasn't strong enough to pull it off, so I grabbed a Bunsen burner and whacked it on the head. It just seemed to fold in half, then collapsed on the floor. I managed to call Steve and Oscar, and Steve came and helped me transport the fembot back to Washington D.C.. Unfortunately that wasn't the end of it."

_Steve supervised the unloading of the crate with the disarmed "Fembot", then held out a hand to a shaky Laurie. "Whether you like it or not, I want Rudy to check you out."_

_Laurie let him help her down from the plane, then wearily collapsed on the baggage cart next to him. As they rode to the front gate, Laurie gathered her coat around her._

_"And here we thought we wouldn't have to face those…those things. I hope they find where this Rawlins escaped to." She shivered then smiled when Steve put his arm around her._

_"You did a good job, honey. I'm sorry you got airsick. Here, look who's come to meet us?"_

_Laurie felt better at the sight of Dr. Rudy Wells, standing by a limo at the airfield gate._

_"Need a ride?" he grinned. Steve and Laurie hopped off the cart, then climbed into the car while their cargo was loaded into a secured Army truck._

_"Am I glad to see you! After the turbulence we hit…" she sighed, and let Steve fill their friend in on the unwelcome discovery. As they arrived at OSI headquarters, Laurie heard Steve bark "hey!"_

_Turning around, she gasped as the truck suddenly zoomed past them. "Steve, there goes the fembot!"_

"So someone stole it?" Rick filled his wife's glass of ice tea and handled it to her. Taking a sip, she nodded. "It was too much of a coincidence for Oscar when the police found the truck, missing its driver and the robot over by the airport. He immediately put the OSI and FBI on alert for any sightings of John Rawlins. Plus he confined Rudy, Steve and I to headquarters to head off any kidnappings or substitutions of personnel like what happened before to Linda and Callahan. We didn't know it had already happened, though, until I saw something strange about Russ, Oscar's assistant at the time."

_"Oscar? Have you seen …?" Laurie came into Callahan's office, then stopped dead in her tracks. In front of her was Russ, adjusting something on Peggy's phone. That wasn't what caught her attention, however. On the back of his neck, it looked almost like, what, a wire sticking out?"_

_"Laurie? What are you doing here?"_

_Realizing she was staring, she forced herself to meet his eyes. "Uh, Russ, I was looking for Oscar, do you know where he is?"_

_"No, so go back to Rudy's lab; you're not supposed to be here." This wasn't the soft-spoken man she'd gotten to know and trust. His voice was almost mechanical…strange….like…_

_"All right, Russ, but let Oscar know I think I found a clue." Laurie replied carefully, then turned and walked out of the office. Heading out of the executive floor, she immediately "called" to Steve._

_"Have you seen Rudy? He was supposed to meet us in the lab and have lunch with us?"_

_She felt her friend's confusion. "No, he's not here…something's wrong."_

_"You're telling me, I just saw Russ in Callahan's office, and he has a wire or something sticking out of his neck, like a transmitter or something…" she "told" him. Just then she heard her name called. "Laurie?"_

_"Never mind, Steve, I just found Rudy." Laurie went toward the lobby and saw him at the rear entrance. "Honey, I think I discovered something." He called, then opened the door and beckoned to her. At once she crossed the room then went through the exit to the garden just outside the parking structure. A dark sedan was at the curb, door open and she followed the doctor as he climbed inside then held out a hand to help her in._

_"What is it, Rudy? Did you learn who has the Fembot?"_

_"Yes, we're going to meet Oscar and Steve over in Silver Spring, I think Rawlins is holed up there." In the dimness of the car Laurie barely could see Rudy's face, and as the sedan took off and exited the parking lot, something didn't feel right._

_"This is what you dreamed of this morning, darlin', isn't it?" Rick watched her face as she paused. Instantly she put her head against his shoulder, and his arms went around her._

_"Yes, love. It was just like I remember, only I knew I had just "talked" to Steve…why didn't he say anything about leaving the building..except…. That's when I knew something was wrong, and I tried to call to Steve. Only the fake Rudy pulled out a syringe and drugged me. When I woke up, I was strapped to a table, and I saw our Rudy struggling to get free. He'd been beaten and tied to a chair, but he was so worried-looking when I came to."_

_"Laurie, honey…thank God, are you alright?"_

_Laurie looked at him, then quavering, asked, "You are Rudy, aren't you?" He looked upset, then nodded. "I'm sorry, Missy, did he hurt you?"_

_"He was rough with me, Rudy, but I'm okay, just woozy. Where are we?" I tried to see if there was anything I could use to free him or myself._

_"About five miles from headquarters, honey. Russ tricked me, but I should have fought back more…." Rudy's frustration caused him to pull at his ropes._

_"It's not your fault, Rudy." Laurie was adamant, her anger dissipating her fear. "They must have figured I suspected him. Let me try to reach Steve."_

_Scarcely had she "called" to him when an older man stepped into the room. "No wonder Colonel Austin came looking for you so soon after you disappeared." Laurie fought against shrinking from him…._


	3. Chapter 3

_"I should have had my manbot take this from you…" Rawlins grabbed at her watch and ripped it from her wrist. Laurie realized he thought her "reaching" was through her transmitter._

_"Now, Ms. Scott, I want you to tell me about your bionics……." The man leaned down and grasped her face in his hand._

_"I don't know what you're talking about! I'm not bionic…no!" Laurie cried out as he released her face and backhanded her._

_"You can't lie to me, there's no way you could have disarmed my manbot in Anchor Bay any other way!" he snarled, then went over to Rudy and pulled out a scalpel._

_"Now, maybe you'll tell me what parts of your little friend here are bionic, or I'll start cutting. You'll never be able to work again….or maybe…" he crossed to Laurie and leveled the knife at her neck._

_"She's telling the truth, she's not bionic, not one bit….don't hurt her, please!" Rudy shouted, and Laurie suddenly saw a chance to get loose. Tightening her hand and wrist, she managed to slip her arm out of the straps while Rawlins was listening to him, then swung her hand as hard as she could against his hand, causing him to drop the knife, then caught him in the lower groin with her fist._

_"Ugh!" The ex-con dropped to the floor, writhing, then Laurie called to Rudy, "Hurry, over here!" At once he rocked his chair over to her and held still as she fumbled with the rope holding him fast. Just then Rawlins tried to get up and Rudy kicked him in the stomach._

_"Wells, stop them!" he yelled, and the faceless manbot came into the room. Rudy finished getting loose, and as he stood up, the robot dove at him, knocking him to the ground._

_"Steve, hurry!" Laurie "called out", then a blur went by and the manbot went flying, crashing against the wall. As Steve advanced toward Laurie, the robot rebounded sharply, picking up and swinging a chair with deadly force at Steve. Fortunately it missed him as Laurie caught sight of an electrical switch on the panel near the doorway. "Rudy, is that the power supply?" she called, still trying to get free. The doctor nodded his head and somehow stood up, then looked at what she was staring at. "I'll take care of that!"_

_A moment later sparks flew as Steve threw the dead weight of the Wells manbot off him,_

_frozen in one position without any power. He dragged a swearing Rawlins off the floor, holding him up with one hand. "All right, where's Russ?"_

_"Down the hall, damn it, how did you track us here? ….I thought she wasn't bionic!" the ex-con shouted._

_Rudy looked up from unbuckling the straps from Laurie, then grinned._

_"She's not, Rawlins, just very special."_

"I'll say!" Steve helped Laurie sit up, then gave her a hug as she leaned against him, exhausted.

"Only with help." Laurie said, a relieved smile on her face.

"My fierce girl." Rick said, holding his wife tightly in his arms. He felt her relax against him as she whispered, "Like I said, only with help, love.

I couldn't have helped stop those monsters without Steve and Rudy. I just wish I knew why I dreamt about them now."

"Well, why don't we talk to your dad and Rudy about it when they come for lunch, and speaking of which…." Rick heard a knock on the back door and went to answer it.

A moment later, Laurie heard Rick yell, "What the….", then silence.

"Rick?"

A cold feeling came over her, and she rushed out of the room, only to stop in horror.

Rick was lying unconscious on the kitchen floor, his head bleeding.

"Rick! Oh, darling, no!" Laurie looked wildly around the room to see if someone had attacked him. Grabbing the phone with one hand and a towel with the other, she dropped to her knees next to him and made a compress, while trying to dial.

She had just gotten a response from 911, when a voice ordered her "Drop the phone."

Raising her eyes, she saw a thin man with salt and pepper hair, holding a gun.

"Who are you? Why did you hurt my husband?" she cried, then flung herself over Rick's body as the intruder pointed the weapon at him.

"Drop the phone and get up, now! Or I'll kill him."

"Please, don't…I'll do anything…" Laurie put the phone face down, praying he didn't notice it was on, then stood up. Immediately he grabbed her by the arm, forcing her against the wall, then tied her arms together. At once she knew he was going to take her away, and she started to protest, "Why are you doing this?"

""Not another sound, or I'll shoot him where he lays." He turned her around, then ordered, "Open your mouth."

With a sinking heart, Laurie did so, and a gag was forced into her mouth and tied tightly around her head. Once she was silenced, he called, "Wells!"

Heavy footsteps sounded, then a horrible sight met Laurie as the stuff of her nightmares came through the back door. She couldn't breath, she felt dizzy and sick as she stared at a faceless "manbot"!


	4. Chapter 4

"Put her in the car, then come back for him."

Rick dazedly heard the stern voice next to him, then he felt hands wrenching his arms together, something being tied roughly about them. He managed to open his eyes enough to see their assailant drop a piece of paper on the floor. Then he was lifted up by one arm and dragged. "Laurie, ….where is she?" he thought, realizing he hadn't heard her voice since he came to. Surreptiously he fumbled with his watch, then turned it on as he

realized he was being pushed into a car, and his head landed with a thud onto something soft….like….

"Rick…..darling." Squinting through his closed lids, he saw he was on his wife's lap.

Rick "heard" his wife's voice in his thoughts, then ….her breath was on his face as the vehicle started to move. Head throbbing, he tried to reassure her. "Sweetheart, I'm all right, thank God you're okay." He whispered to her.

A muffled noise was all he heard, but he took a chance and reached up his fingers to caress her cheek. A sudden bump caused him to swear as his head bounced, then the stern voice barked, "Quiet! Or I'll dump you in the desert to die!"

Anger surged through Rick, and the only thing keeping him from bolting upright was Laurie's "plea"

"Please, Rick…don't let him take you from me!"

Moved, he moved his hand to her face and stroked her, feeling her calm at his touch. For what seemed like an eternity they drove over broken roads, then the car made a sharp turn. Suddenly they stopped, then the door was opened and rough hands yanked at him.

"Get out, now!"

Groaning and straining, Rick lifted himself off his wife's lap and carefully climbed out of the car. As he stood upright, he got his first look at the manbot, and his jaw dropped..

"Frightening, isn't he, Mr. Simon? When Dr. Franklin invented him, I feared him too, but after I was ruined by your friends, I rescued him from the OSI and brought him here."

The smug, clinical tone of the man stung Rick into retorting, "I don't know who you are, but I doubt any friend of mine would bother with the likes of you, frightening and hurting my wife like that!"

"Big talk, Mr. Simon. Who I am isn't important, it's your friends got you into this, you'd better pray for your wife's and your sake that they get you out. Wells, take him inside and put him in the cage. I'll bring Mrs. Simon in."

The robot seized his arm, then hesitated. The voice that spoke next startled Rick.

"Don't hurt her, Mrs. Simon doesn't deserve to be hurt."

It sounded like Rudy, only, like a younger Rudy….it couldn't be…

"Do as I say, Wells." The dark-eyed man ordered. Rick could have sworn he saw a look of uncertainty in the eyes of the manbot, then they hardened and he was marched inside what looked like an old medical lab. Going down a hallway, he saw a brightly lit room up ahead, then saw a large cage in the center of the floor.

"You've got to be kidding me? He thinks Laurie and I will stay in that thing?" Rick said, forgetting the force contained in the manbot's arm.

"I'm afraid the alternative is death, Mr. Simon." Wells told him, then shoved him through the doorway of the cage. Stumbling, Rick barely got his footing before the door clanged shut.

Turning around, he saw the robot start back toward the exit. "Wait! Please let my wife go, she's never hurt you or your boss!"

Stopping in its tracks, the figure whirled around, its eyes staring at Rick.

"He's not my boss, I 'm helping him get revenge on Oscar Goldman, Rudy Wells and the Austin's, he's going to restore my face. As for your wife…." It hesitated, then shook its head and walked away.

As soon as it disappeared, Rick brought his bound wrist up to his mouth. "Oscar?….A.J.?"

He stopped as he heard someone talking. "What does it say?" A.J.'s voice was first.

"It's bad, son. This man demands that Steve, Rudy and I trade ourselves for Laurie and Rick. He gives us 24 hours to meet his demand, or he'll torture and kill them."

Recognizing Oscar's voice, he spoke rapidly…."Oscar, it's Rick."

"Oh my God, are you and Laurie all right?" the older man asked, then Rick heard footsteps.

"They're coming…just key in on us, hurry!" Rick dropped his hands and advanced to the bars of the cage as he saw the kidnapper leading his wife by the arm as Wells followed, now holding a gun.

"Back away from the door, Mr. Simon, and we'll leave you and your wife together. Any trouble, and she'll suffer for it."

Obediently Rick stood back, then watched helplessly as Laurie was led inside, then the manbot followed, now dragging in two chairs. At once he was pushed into one, then Laurie was forced into the other, and they were bound back to back. As the two captors turned to lock them in, Rick spoke up.

"Look, no one's going to hear either of us, can you at least take the gag off so she doesn't get sick?"

"Thank you, love." Laurie's thoughts floated into his, and he moved his hand to cover hers.

"All right, but any trouble…"

Surprisingly, it was Wells who stepped forward and almost gently pulled the handkerchief out of her mouth. Instantly she gasped for air, then reluctantly the dark-haired man put a bottle of water to her lips and gave her a sip.

"Thank you." She managed to sputter, then both of them left the cage and locked it.

"We'll be back in a while, make yourselves at home." He told them sardonically, then Rick spoke up again.

"At least tell us who you are?"

"That's right, your wife probably never was told much about me, since I was long gone before she joined the OSI. I bet she doesn't know either….I'm Michael Marchetti, or Dr. Marchetti before I was deprived and disgraced!" A scowl crossed the man's face, then he added, "Just hope Goldman cares about you as much as you do him, or you'll both be deprived, this time of your lives."


	5. Chapter 5

A.J. listened to the threat to his brother and sister-in-law with growing horror; the call from Robbie had woken him and Linda up and he had driven over from Phoenix almost on autopilot.

_"Uncle A.J., can you get to Mom and Pop's right now? Something's happened to them, they've been kidnapped."_

_"What?" A.J. rapidly blinked away sleep as his nephew told him about a 911 call that his mother had placed, how her voice was heard pleading for someone's life, then cut off._

_"Was….was the ranch broken into?"_

_"No, the back door was left unlocked, but there was a note on the floor.. it says, "I have Laurie and Rick Simon. They will be returned alive and unharmed if Oscar Goldman, Dr. Rudy Wells and Col. Steve Austin turn themselves into me within 24 hours. If not, I will torture and kill Mr. And Mrs. Simon. Instructions will follow."_

Now he sat at their kitchen table, still set for the lunch they were to share with Oscar and Rudy. Looking tired and aged, Oscar was on the phone, trying to persuade Jaime to go stay with Chrystal until it was safe. Rudy was on his transmitter, trying to get the Secretary to give up Michael Marchetti's last known whereabouts.

And he and Robbie were not so patiently listening for their loved ones' captors to leave so they could talk to Rick and Laurie. Already she had somehow turned her pendant on, so they had heard the identity of the kidnapper in stereo.

"Babe, please understand, I know you can take care of yourself, but we're talking about Marchetti here, he won't stop at anything to revenge himself on us. Please…can you please stay with Chrystal, if not for yourself, for her?" Oscar was beside himself and some of that must have come through to Jaime, for he suddenly quieted down and murmured, "Thanks, honey. I love you too."

Hanging up the phone, the former OSI Chief sighed. "Rudy, any luck?"

"Thank you sir." Rudy disconnected his transmitter, then looked over at the others.

"They've put the main beam on their locator, we should have a location within 3 minutes. I'm glad you got through to her, pal."

Oscar shook his head. "I think it was just because Jaime realizes what a fembot can do. Marchetti really scares her, just the fembots do Laurie. Do we know where Marchetti's been since he was let out?"

"Yes, the files show he was spotted in Ojai, then vanished." Rudy tried to sound optimistic as he continued. "However, the Secretary says a set of plans for the Rockpoint research base are missing, so he's getting us the coordinates now."

Just then Rick's voice came quietly over A.J.'s transmitter. "A.J., Dad?"

"We're here, Rick. Are you guys okay?" the younger Simon asked.

"Other then a headache, I'm fine. Sweetheart?" Rick tried to turn his transmitter closer to her.

"I'm okay, just scared, A.J.. Don't let Oscar and Rudy and Steve trade themselves, this guy is nuts." She added.

Oscar spoke up, "Laurie, we're going to find you two; I'm glad you had the smarts to call 911. Robbie just missed getting there in time to stop Marchetti, thanks to the operator paging him."

"Can you tell where we are, Dad?" Rick asked, glancing nervously at the closed door to their prison.

"No, unfortunately there must be interference with your location device, but we think you're over by Flagstaff, at the Rockpoint Research Base. It's been closed for years, but a person matching Marchetti's description was spotted there." Oscar explained, then a knock on the front door caused all three men to tense up. Pulling his weapon out, A.J. made his way to the living room, then looked through the window.

"Steve!"

A.J. flung open the door and welcomed a stern-faced Col. Austin. "Any word?" he immediately asked, then heard Rick's voice over the transmitter. "Guys, he's coming back, hurry!"

Steve stopped in mid-step as he listened to the voice echoing off Rick's watch.

"Well, Mr. Simon, I'm ready to contact your friends to see if they care about you and your wife. We'll let you speak to them, but one cry or attempt to let them know where we are, and …" Steve heard silence, then a muffled "no!"

All four men were livid with anger, as suddenly the phone next to them rang.

A.J. picked it up, saying "Simon Residence.

"Mr. Simon, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I have a message regarding your brother and sister-in-law." A. J. tensed, asking, "Who is this? Where's Laurie and Rick?"

"Patience, Mr. Simon. One moment." Marchetti's voice faded, then Rick spoke.

"A.J.? It's Rick."

"Rick, are you okay?" A.J. motioned to Robbie, and he took his transmitter and went in the other room to listen.

"Oh, I'm just fine, hanging out, just the two of us, and our friends here…." His voice was cut off suddenly, then Laurie's came on…breathy and almost tearful.

"A.J.? Is Dad there?"

The younger Simon took a deep breath, trying to control his anger. "Yes, sis. He's here. We're going to get you and Rick home, don't worry."

"I know, but…I love you all, little brother, and tell him and my buddy and Uncle not to go to any trouble for us. Please." Laurie's voice strengthened at that point, then an audible swear from Rick let them know the phone was taken away from her.

"She's a very noble woman, your Mrs. Simon." Marchetti was back, and his tone hardened as he said, "But I want Oscar Goldman, Steve Austin and Dr. Wells at the entrance of the Sedona Airbase, by six am tomorrow morning. I want them unarmed, no tracking devices or police around, or Mr. and Mrs. Simon will be dead."

"Play for time….ask to contact us.. then have a call back." Oscar mouthed to A.J..

"All right, but you'll have to give me time to get a hold of them…."he began, only to have Marchetti interrupt him. "No foolishness, Mr. Simon… I happen to know Col. Austin is in the area now, and Goldman and Wells not far away, not with their precious family in danger. I will call you at 5 am tomorrow morning, either to verify they are at the airfield, or to plan two funerals. Their call."

At once there was a dial tone, and angrily A.J. slammed the receiver down.

"How dare he…..that animal…."

"A.J., it's all right, son, we know…." Rudy put his hand on A.J.'s shoulder, calming him. The agony in Oscar's face was what worried him: to go after this madman, possibly condemning Laurie and Rick to death, or surrender himself and risk their dying anyway.

"Wait a minute…." Robbie held up a hand as he came back in the room. The voices on the transmitter was angry, and it took a minute for the men to realize the manbot and Marchetti were at odds.

"You said after you killed Dr. Wells and the others, you would release Mr. and Mrs. Simon, then repair my face!" Wells was yelling furiously.

"I've changed the game; I want Jaime Austin. You are to go to her home and kill everyone else there, then bring her to me, alive." Marchetti ordered.

Rick watched this turn of events with unease; on one hand it had distracted their captors enough that Laurie was able to work on the ropes holding him to the chair. But Wells had so far been more "human" to them; Marchetti was vengeful enough to kill Laurie and him. If one destroyed the other…..

"Rick, almost done…." Laurie whispered, then they both froze as Marchetti advanced on the manbot, shouting "I own you, you'll do as I say or I'll return you to the junk heap!"

As the two adversaries walked away from the cage, Rick managed to pull one wrist free, then aim his voice at his transmitter. "A.J., we've got to get out of here! Can you zero in on our signal?"

A.J. started to reply in the negative when Steve Austin turned from the phone he'd been working. "Tell him yes! The locator beacon just picked them up, they're outside of Flagstaff at the old Rockpoint base. We'll be there in 20 minutes!"

"Did you hear that, Rick? We're on our way, just hang on!" A.J. told him excitedly.

"We will, just hurry." Rick replied, then squeezed his wife's hand as she finished untying his wrists. "Okay, sweetheart, hold still."

Making quick work of her bonds, Rick kept a wary eye on Marchetti and Wells, who were now waving furiously at each other. Just as he was about to untie her ankles, Marchetti turned toward the cage, then barked, "What do you think you're doing? Freeze or you're dead!" Rick quickly looked around for something to use as a weapon , only for the ex-con to rush the enclosure. Before he could open the door, Wells was on him, seizing him by the arm, then throwing him clear across the room. Rick watched in disbelief as Marchetti landed on his back, and lay there, unconscious.

"Rick, hurry!" Laurie struggled to get up, and quickly he turned back to free her from the chair, only for her to scream, "Look out!"

Rick whirled around to see Wells ripping open the cage door. "Get away from her, Simon!" he ordered, then rushed inside the enclosure. Rick stood up and stood in front of  
Laurie. "I won't let you hurt her, Wells. If you leave, you'll be free of Marchetti." He said.

In reply, the manbot pushed him to the floor, then grabbed a terrified Laurie up in his arms and ran out of the cage. Turning back to Rick, he told him "I'm not going to hurt Mrs. Simon, I'll be safe as long as she's with me. Go, or I'll kill you!"


	6. Chapter 6

"No, don't take her!" Rick started toward them, then Laurie tried to wriggle free, distracting the manbot. "Stop struggling, Laurie, or I'll knock you out!" He commanded, tightening his grip on her and running out of the room.

"Where is it?" Robbie asked frantically, cringing inwardly as he heard the threat against his mother. Glancing around in the darkness, he slowed down to peer at a weathered old sign.

"That's it, Robbie, turn in here, see….the gate's been opened." Steve told him, then Oscar radioed to the accompanying OSI agents. "We're here, stay back until we give the signal, the hostages are our first priority."

As they drove toward the small group of buildings, the headlights of the police cruiser picked up a dark sedan parked near the rear of the first building. Suddenly Robbie floored it as they heard a scream. "Rick!"

As they screeched to a halt at the entrance, a figure came running out at high speed, and Steve immediately got out of the cruiser and rushed the manbot, trying to stop him.

"Put her down!" he yelled, and Wells immediately stopped, then leaped over Steve and onto the roof of the building. As Robbie and A.J. froze, stunned by the Herculean jump of the robot, it almost gently put Laurie down on the edge of the roof. She immediately tried to back away from him, then stopped when he grabbed her by the arm.

"Don't move, Laurie, or you'll fall to your death. I'll be back as soon as I finish your friends." He said, then jumped down to the ground in back of Steve.

Fortunately, Steve whirled around and was ready for Wells, who ripped a piece of railing off the building stairs and swung it at him. Using his bionic power to dodge and weave out of the way, Steve was hard put to avoid him as he got closer and closer. Rick had stopped in the doorway of the building, seeing the fight in front of him, then glanced around frantically for his wife until A.J. caught his eye and pointed above him.

"Sweetheart!"

Laurie glanced down, frozen with fear. "Rick…." She breathed, relieved to see him safe. She then saw that Steve had been cornered, and instantly "told" Rick, "Darling, hit Wells with something in the back of his head, it's the only way to stop him!"

"A.J.!" Rick hollered at his brother then pointed at his gun. A.J. tossed it to him, then he saw Steve was on the ground, having been knocked down by the manbot.

"No!" he yelled, rushing over, he brought the handle of the weapon down on the robots skull. Instantly it made a howling sound, then raised up and turned on Rick, who backed up and reversed the pistol to point it at Wells.

"That won't stop me…." he yelled, then began to stagger as smoke came from his metal face.

Steve quickly got up, then yelled "Everyone back!"

Just then Rick saw Laurie was still in danger, and hollered, "Steve, help me get her down!" "No-I'm okay-take cover!" she called back, trying to move away from the edge.

As the manbot fell to its knees, Rick and Steve ran around him, then Steve jumped first one level, then carefully balancing on a rail, leapt onto the roof.

"Come on, honey." He told Laurie, ripping the rope off her ankles, then putting her on his back, jumped down the way he came up.

As he landed, he handed her off to Rick, who put an arm around her and helped her follow the big man to safety behind the police cruiser.

Scarcely had they taken shelter when Marchetti came stumbling out of the building. Before they could stop him, he spotted the manbot on the ground, and shrieked "You! You ruined everything!"

Slowly Wells rose from the pavement, then turning toward the doctor, yelled "Free!", then pulled something from his chest. Instantly there was an explosion, then both disappeared in a ball of fire and smoke. Agents dashed forward with fire extinguishers, trying to contain the flames, while Rick and Laurie were surrounded by their family and friends. "Rick, are you okay, let me see…." Rudy fussed over him, while Oscar and Robbie took turns hugging Laurie. "Mama, you and Pop really scared me…" Robbie gulped, then embraced his mother. "Honey, we're alright, thanks to you and your uncles. You kept us going." She reassured him, then released him to Rick as she leaned her head against Oscar's broad chest.

"You mustn't ever let me cause you to be taken, Dad. I couldn't bear it." She whispered, then sniffed as he comforted her. "I won't let someone hurt my girl." He told her, then added, "But I'll do my best to stay out of trouble, now you and that man of yours have to do the same!"

"I promise, Dad." Rick chuckled, now sporting a bandage on his forehead. A.J. took one look at him while putting an arm around his sister-in-law. "You look like a pirate, Rick. All you need is the parrot and an eye patch!" he teased.

"How about we take the pirate and his wench home for some rest." Steve broke in, grinning. As the others laughed, Rick put his arms around Laurie and kissed her.

"Mmm, best idea I've heard all day." She said, a weary smile on her face. At that, Rick scooped her up in his arms and carried her laughing to Robbie's cruiser.

"Son, let's set sail for home!" he tossed over his shoulder, and Robbie saluted him playfully. "Aye, Aye, Captain!"


	7. Chapter 7

"Okay, Rick. You can come out, she's gone."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Rick came out of the barn, then grinned at his brother's discomfiture.

"What, you have lots of experience in dealing with Mom. When I heard that "What" out of her, I knew it was time to feed the horses."

In spite of himself, the younger Simon chuckled. "It's not Mom you should be worrying about. When she heard about Marchetti, she went off on Laurie. I mean, not off, but still she wanted to know when someone was going to tell her she almost lost you guys."

Rick's humor faded as he got the point. "Oh geez, Laurie's not upset, is she?"

Now it was A.J.'s turn to smirk. "Not much. I did my best to calm her down, but I think you'd better give her a wide birth for a few minutes. I'm going to pick up Linda and the kids from the Center, now, so you've got sometime before we come back. Mom's with Chief Pete this afternoon so it's just going to be us for dinner." And Rick….." he started for his car then turned around. "I'd make sure she knows you won't do that again, okay?"

Rick met his now serious look with a chastened nod. "I won't, little brother. I can't run from talking about what we went through again, not with this hearing Dad has to go to with the Secretary."

A.J. shook his head in frustration. "I understand, Rick. Just let her know that. I'll see you later." He retraced his steps and gave his brother a heartfelt hug, then pulled his hat down and went to his car as Rick pretended to grumble about him "not being too big to whipper".

"Just when I think I've grown up…." He mused dejectedly, then entering the house through the backdoor, called "Laurie?"

Fearing she would be too upset with him to answer, he was glad to hear her reply

"In here, Rick."

Going toward their room, he instead heard, "I'm in the living room.", her tone very calm.

"Oh, oh."

Squaring himself, he continued down the hall then found Laurie in her rocking chair, watching for him.

Instead of sitting next to her in his chair, Rick instead knelt down in front of her, and reached for her hands, lacing his fingers with hers. "Laurie, I'm sorry."

He saw the hurt in her eyes fade to confusion, "Rick?"

"I shouldn't have done that to you, Sweetheart, I let you get the worst of Mom's being unhappy, and that wasn't right. I'm not …I didn't want to rehash our kidnapping, or what almost happened to us, but I had no right to put you in that position.. Please …."

"No, oh, darling, no…" Laurie interrupted him, drawing him to her and kissing him. "You break my heart when you hurt like this…. It's going to be all right," She whispered, leaning her face against his.

"I promise, Laurie, I won't let you face Mom or anyone alone, not like that." Rick kissed her hands, then her lips and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you so….I need you to help me be strong tomorrow…help me not lose my temper."

"I love you always, always. I won't let go of your hand once, I'll be brave too, I promise." Laurie buried her face in his neck as he stroked her hair.

The phone rang at that moment, and reluctantly Rick reached over and snagged it off the coffee table. "Simon Residence."

"Hey, Rick. It's Steve, how are you guys doing?"

Relieved to hear their friend's voice, Rick spoke to him a few minutes, then handed the phone to Laurie. "Your buddy wants to say hi."

"Hey Steve." Laurie was smiling now, then giggled as Steve needled, "I hope I didn't interrupt anything….somebody was grumpy answering the phone."

She blushed as she returned, "That's because it's just the two of us until dinnertime….besides, aren't you and Jaime enjoying being "empty nesters"?"

Steve cleared his throat noisily, "Uh, well, yeah….I guess I'll leave you lovebirds alone. We'll see you tomorrow. And," he added, hearing the drawn breath from Laurie as she was reminded of the unpleasant nature of their meeting. "We'll have lunch afterwards with Chrystal, she's going to meet us all at the Heritage."

"Thank you, Steve….That will be something to look forward to, give Jaime a hug for us." She smiled then said goodbye.

As she put the phone to one side, Rick scooped her up in his arms and settled into her chair, placing her on his lap. "Now, why don't we forget about tomorrow, and enjoy today before dinnertime." He said, gazing in her eyes.

"I'd like nothing better…." She replied, kissing him.

In spite of their good spirits of the day before, it was a somber group of family and friends who met at the local OSI Office the next day. Oscar was tightlipped as he waited for Rick to pull up in front of the building.

"There's my girl." he smiled as he helped Laurie out of the truck, then hugged Robbie as he climbed out after her. Rick's stomach was uneasy as he saw how weighed down the older man looked. "I'll be right in, Dad, let me park the car."

"We'll wait." Oscar said dryly. As soon as Rick came back from the parking structure, they met up with A.J., Steve, and Rudy and went into the private hearing room on the 1st floor.

As they waited to go in, Oscar reminded them, "The Secretary just wants to hear from us exactly what happened, and why and how the manbot and Marchetti died. If he or any of the cabinet have a problem with any of us, just tell the truth and walk away. This is entirely voluntary."

With Oscar's warning in his ear, Rick scowled as they went in and took their seats at a Senate-style hearing room, complete with microphones. In front of them sat 6 men, plus the Secretary. Rick held on to Laurie's hand the entire time as they listened to Oscar's successor, Michael O'Callahan, read an account of their abduction and rescue.

When he had finished, a beefy man on the OSI board spoke up. "I need to hear exactly why the manbot could not be saved, why was it allowed to be blown up by Michael Marchetti?"

Oscar quirked an eyebrow at him. "And you are?"

"Vice Director Melrose. We've read your report, Mr. Goldman. Can you answer this?"

Oscar calmly recited the events leading up to the manbot taking his daughter and son-in-law hostage, then the demand note and how the rescue was made. Then Rick spoke, his brusqueness seeming to make the vice director squirm in his chair.

As he finished telling of the brutality of their treatment by the late Dr. Marchetti, Rick couldn't help but level one more statement at the governing body.

"Since you and your office are more worked up then I thought over that Marchetti dying at the manbot's hand, I'm going to say this once and once only…My wife and I were almost killed by this …..manbot, if you're going to think I would let her die at the expense of "Wells" blowing up, you've got another thing coming."

As he sat down, Laurie's fingers gave his hand a squeeze. For a moment the men spoke, then the Vice Director turned his gaze to her.

"Well, Mrs. Simon, having dealt with both "robots', I realize you were frightened by the threat of this one, but is there no way you or your husband would have been rescued without killing this valuable link …."

"Wait a minute." Laurie stood straight up, then fixed her gaze on the panel. "This link, is by no stretch of the imagination "valuable!" You…have no right to put our lives and safety on the same value as that of a robot! If it weren't for my husband and friends, I would have been the prisoner of this robot or worse."

Laurie swallowed hard, then she continued, "And what you seem to have missed, is that the manbot took Marchetti out at the same time he exploded. I don't know how it did it, but there is no way any of us could have stopped the robot from exploding. I certainly hope our lives are worth the same consideration you seem to have for this criminal."

She sat down, and Rick squeezed her hand. "I'm so proud of you." he "told her. He stared at the panel members as they conferred with each other, then summoned Oscar to speak with them.

"Come on, darlin', let's make tracks." Rick nodded at the others, then helping Laurie up, led their group out of the room.

By the buzz going on as they left, he surmised his wife had given them something to think about. As the door closed behind them, she leaned against Rick.

"Thank God that's over…..I was so proud of you, Rick..You helped me stay calm."

He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Not as proud as I was of you, and Dad. Steve, " Rick said, then waited until the big man turned around. "Now that …."

Just then Rick was interrupted by Oscar exiting the conference room, his face inscrutable.

"Well, pal?" Steve faced the former OSI Chief.

"Well, aside from being ashamed of themselves…." Oscar began, then grinned. "You all have the thanks of a grateful nation, and Rick and Steve have been put in for medals of honor."

A small cheer went up, then was quickly shushed by security. "Okay, party time at the Heritage." Steve told them.

Once they were gathered in a small dining room, Rick raised his voice.

"As I was saying, now that this is over, we can also celebrate our new neighbors the Austins." At that, Jaime giggled, realizing her husband was going to be surprised.

Steve stared blankly, then remembered the vacation home offer. "Rick, are you and Laurie sure?"

About to make a joke, Rick instead put a hand on the former Colonel's arm. "As sure as anything, my friend." He said quietly. "You and Jaime are a big part of our lives, I want to make sure we have the chance to make better memories."

Steve's eyes were bright as he replied, "I can't think of a better way to start!" Jaime raised her glass as she wiped her eyes. "To our family and new neighbors."

Fin


End file.
